Lin-Manuel Miranda has opened up about why he was not cast in "Wicked," and addressed the sensationalism around the topic.
The film adaptation of the Broadway musical was directed by Jon M. Chu, who Miranda had previously worked with on the film version of In "The Heights" in 2021. So when it emerged that his name was not tied to "Wicked," it sparked various rumors and reports, which Miranda addressed during an appearance on "The Late Show."
"This has gotten blown away out of proportion," Miranda told Stephen Colbert, according to Deadline.
"And we're going to continue to do that right now," Colbert replied jokingly.
Miranda explained, "In the opening number of the show, this one munchkin runs out and goes, 'Is it true you were her friend?' Because, man, I don't know if you've seen a live production of 'Wicked,' but sometimes they really put some sauce on the ball when they deliver that line."
This, Miranda explained, was "where the story starts."
"So I was like, 'I really wanted to do that line, Jon.' And I was not cast," he said, adding that he understood why he was not given the role.
"It would've been distracting," he said.
Ultimately, Kirsty Anne Shaw took the part.
"The young woman who does it in the movie is great," Miranda continued. "She does it very earnestly. I would have done very Regina George, 'Mean Girls' like, 'Is it true you were her friend?' Didn't make the cut."
Late last year, Miranda also spoke out about the reason why he did not participate in "Moana 2."
The Tony winner was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the original 2016 film "Moana," but in an interview with People, Miranda revealed that participating in the recently released sequel was not entirely in the cards.
He explained to the outlet that "there was never an opportunity to be on Moana 2," clarifying that production "already had their songwriters" because it was a TV series that became a movie.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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